Don't go SOBO! Important!
For the love of god, to all of you potential NOBOs, don't change your mind and decide to go SOBO. I completed my SOBO thru in November, and I can't stress enough how important it is that you continue with your northern plans. Let me explain why.
I started in Maine mid June. By the time I got to Neels Gap in November, I didn't need a thing. I spent the night in the hostel (because they have an awesome shower and VHS tapes), woke up the next morning, and walked the 32 miles to Springer. It will take you 3-4 days to get here, and it's imperative that you stop here to send home your hatchet, your extra boots, two of your three Nalgene bottles, and maybe that portable speaker that everyone loves to hear you play in the shelters everynight. Mountain Crossings needs you to stop and do a gear shakedown, because you really do need all that awesome new gear they have. Yours sucks. Plus you might want to stay at the hostel since there will be dozens upon dozens of other people doing exactly the same thing as you, so you might have to wait for your turn. Did I mention that Bill Bryson went Northbound? He's so cool, what an awesome thru hiker. If you go SOBO, you won't have a chance to realize that your gear sucks because you'll be stuck in the HMW until Monson, too busy hiking and getting strong to spend 1/4 of your budget right away.
Hiking with others is just plain cool. There is no reason to seek solitude and quiet, it's the AT man! Safety in numbers, safety in numbers. You will wake up everyday in a crowd, walk all day in a crowd, and fight for shelter or tent spaces as the sun goes down. It's like being at a festival, but not really and someone is sure to have one of those little portable speakers that everyone loves to listen to! It's all about the people, ya know? Cliques will form, you will find yours, and soon you'll have a happy little hiking family group that you'll follow everywhere. You'll all go to town at every road crossing for burgers, pizza and beer, even though you really don't want to. The only time you'll be alone is when you're in the privy, and that's really not like being alone because five other people have already pooped that morning, warming the seat and reminding you that just outside that door is a line of people who need to evacuate their bowels too. If you were walking south, you'd get bored because there aren't as many people and you'd have to listen to the birds chirping, the wind through the trees, the sound of hunters preparing for deer season in the valleys below you. Plus southbounders don't carry those little portable speakers that people love to hear played every night with your music. Losers!
Two words: Trail Magic! You and your hiking family bubble cult will be amazed at the love and support you will get. Gone are the days of having to carry all your grub, if you plan it right you could live off hiker feeds and coolers full of soda and little cakes in between town stops. You'll save a lot of money this way, which is a good thing because you spent so much at Neels Gap and all. You might even resort to stealing from hostels and stores because there are so many northbounders, nobody will ever suspect it was YOU who didn't leave a donation, or that is was YOU who took food and didn't pay for it on the honor system. SOBO's don't get all of this love because everyone is so burned out from the NOBO's, I mean, the hiking season is over and southbounders are stupid anyways. Miss Janet doesn't REALLY need gas money, does she? I mean, with so many shuttles everybody else probably gave her money, right?
When, and if, you get up to the Whites and southern Maine, you'll be really tired of hiking but it won't matter because you're so close you can almost taste it! Some people say that from the Whites up to Katahdin is the most beautiful, and most difficult part of the entire trail. Well it won't be for you because you're over it at this point, and you'll be ignoring the great views and just focusing on slackpacking as much as possible. Plus you'll probably be passing the SOBO bubble at this point and there so stupid because they're going the wrong way. And they'll probably be super stoked on this section because they're fresh and haven't been hiking with thousands of others the entire time, but don't let this get you down because you've almost hike the entire AT and in a month you'll be back home trying to adapt to "real" life again. Those southbound losers still have 4-5 months of walking to do, regardless if they've gotten the hard part over first. As you pass them, be sure to tell them how hard the Whites were and to watch out for bears in NJ and be sure to play your music really loud on your little portable speakers as you walk down the trail so everyone can hear how awesome your playlist has gotten since you left Georgia. Headphones are for doofuses.
And of course, the main reason to go North is so you can get that really cool shot at the top of Katahdin. I mean, sure the SOBO's start here and get cool pics too, because there isn't a mob waiting in line for their turn and all, but you've got such a gnarly beard and you're so skinny and oh man you made it and you got the pic to prove it! Who wants to finish at dinky old Springer mountain anyways, booooring! You should definitely plan the direction you hike based on how cool your finish photo will look on Facebook. Hmm, "I just walked to Katahdin" or "I just walked to Springer"...duh, Katahdin! Also, you should belittle as many southbounders along the way as you can, because since they didn't go north, they did it wrong. Show superiority and don't listen to their advice about Maine, because what do they know they just started?
I hope this has convinced all of you who plan to head north soon to STICK WITH YOUR PLANS!!! SOBO's are a strange and introverted bunch, who decided to walk south just because they think it's "cool" and "different", and they want a "unique experience" and it's more "challenging", plus they probably did it just to spite you. So as you pass those weak and feable southbounders of 2015, turn down your little portable speaker thingy and say "You're going the wrong way!", laugh, and hustle on up to Katahdin for that really awesome summit photo you just walked six months for.
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Originally Posted by Lone Wolf
